The Sacred Golden Stool of the Asante People of Ghana

The Golden Stool – also known as Sika Dwa Kofi – of the Asante people of Ghana is the royal and divine throne of kings of the Ashanti people. The stool which is believed to house the spirit of the Asante nation is considered to be so sacred that no one is allowed to sit on it.

The Sacred Golden Stool of the Asante people of Ghana

The Golden Stool is made of pure gold, and hung with bells to warn the king of impending danger. The stool which also has its own throne is so sacred that it is kept under the strictest security and is taken outside only on exceptional occasions.

According to legend, the golden stool descended from the sky through the chants of one of their greatest traditional priests by the name of Okomfo Anokye. It landed on the lap of the first Asante King, Osei Tutu, which he used to unify the people in the 17th century.

Ashante golden stool

The Golden Stool is usually placed on the right side of the king and it is only brought out when a new Ashanti king is to be the inaugurated, and during the commemoration of the date the Golden Stool fell down from Heaven, Akwasidae festival.

On this day (Akwasidae festival), the Golden Stool (throne) is displayed at the palace grounds in the presence of the king while people sing and dance.

The Golden Stool of the Asante people

Ritual libations of blood and schnapps are also poured onto the thrones of the former kings as offerings to them and to the ancestors.

In Asante, All chiefs have a symbolic replica of the stool, and each has a different symbolic meaning for the person whose soul it seats.

Ashante Golden stool

The Asante have always defended the Golden Stool when it was at risk.

1896: The Asante allowed their King, Prempeh I, to be deported rather than risk losing a war and the Golden Stool in the process.

1900: The Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Frederick Hodgson, demanded to sit on the stool. The Asante remained silent and when the assembly ended, they went home and prepared for war. Although they were finally conquered by the British in the War of the Golden Stool, the Asante claimed victory because they fought only to preserve the Golden Stool, and they had.

1920: A group of African road builders accidentally found the Golden Stool and stripped it of its gold ornaments. They were tried according to traditional custom and the death penalty was imposed. But the British intervened and the sentence was commuted to perpetual banishment.

To this day, the Golden Stool is one of the main focal points of the Asante people of Ghana.

Mr Madu
Mr Madu
Mr Madu is a freelance writer, a lover of Africa and a frequent hiker who loves long, vigorous walks, usually on hills or mountains.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Join Our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter today and start exploring the vibrant world of African history and culture!

Just In

Ota Benga: The Tragic Story of the African Man Who Was Exhibited in a New York Zoo in 1906

Ota Benga was a Congolese member of the Mbuti pygmy tribe whose tragic story got international attention when he...

More Articles Like This